Twitter tiptoed into e-commerce in September with its new “buy” button, embedded in some tweets of partners such as Home Depot and Burberry. But the microblogging platform is positioning itself to sell more than just house paint and cashmere scarves. Twitter’s (TWTR) “buy” button could develop into a larger “commerce engine” that includes media subscriptions, says Chilton Capital Management analyst Sam Rines. Each day, Twitter carries more than
Some prognosticators play it safe with year-ahead predictions. They’ll build their forecasts off known events like product launches (Apple Watch, Windows 10, etc.) or extrapolate from current trends (cloud computing, Internet of Things, etc.). But others are much more daring. Like Babe Ruth confidently pointing to the center-field bleachers and swinging for a home run, these forecasters are willing to take a gamble and risk striking out big time. What follows are 10 of the boldest predictions for the tech industry in 2015. 1. Twitter gets sold, possible to Google. Short-message social network Twitter (TWTR) had a rough time in 2014. The microblogging service went public on Nov. 7, 2013, at 26 and ended that year at 63.65. Twitter stock fell 44% in 2014, closing Wednesday at 35.87. The San Francisco-based firm has struggled to grow its active user base and advertising revenue. Some on Wall Street have called for…
Twitter (TWTR) stock rose Monday after Argus initiated coverage of the microblog with a buy and rumors swirled that CEO Dick Costolo, unpopular with some on Wall Street, may resign. Twitter didn’t respond to request for comment about the CEO rumors. A Wall Street Journal report last month painted Costolo as a “reactive thinker” who is “struggling to convey a consistent vision” of the company. Some analysts have placed the blame on Costolo for